Expression device for player pianos



July 31, 1923. 1,463,234

' O. E. WALL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Feb. 10 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES NVENTOR 0. E. Wad,

A TTORN E Y8 July 31, 1923-.

o. E. WALL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Feb. 10 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 avwewtoz O. 1 1, TVQL'L,

' July 31, 1923. 1,463,234

0. E. WALL EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS Filed Feb. 10 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 w n w m '1 ca m H R:

WITNESSES INVENTOR A TTORNEYS illustrating the practical application or" my Patented July 31, 1923 UNITED STATES ORMOND EDGAR WALL OF HONOLULU, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

EXPRESSION DEVICE FOR PLAYER PIANOS Application filed February 10, 1921.

To all w/zom it may concern Be it known that I, OntuoNn EooAn WALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii. have invented certain new and useful 1m provements in Expression Devices for Player Pianos of which the following a specification.

lily present invention relates generally to player pianos, and more particularly to expression devices therefor. my object being the provision of a tone control arrangement in which there will be minimum loss of vacuum both in the several adjusted positions as well as during the movement of the parts from one position to another.

A further object is the provision of an expression device in which there is an automatic-ally controlled movement the parts bringing about either slowly or speedily increasing volume as desired.

A still further object is the provision of an expression device wherein the adjustable moving parts be locked in various positions upon adjustment thereoi and the locked condition retained over a desired period before release.

In carrying out my invention l provide note sheet controlled means located between the usual player or valve chest and its pressure supply means tor controlling the pressure supplied to the player or valve chest independent oil the supply means and in turn under control of automatically acting means for either sustaining the same in adjusted position or releasing the same for return to normal or any other degree ct tension or expression and under control in a somewhat similar manner means by which to effect either afrapid or a slow increase of volume as desired.

.ln the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred torn. of my invention and constituting a part oi this specification,

Figure 1 is a diagrannnatic side view invention. V

Figure 2' is a front view, on an enlargedv scale. and partly in section. of the pressure control member,

Figure 3 is a detail side view of cergain parts shown in Figure 2,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section taken on line 44 of Figure 2,

Figure is a diagram illustrating the Serial No. 243.858.

means by which control is effected from a note sheet,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view oi the means for controlling the extent and speed of movement of the removable parts of the control member, and

Figure T is an end view of Figure 6.

Referring now to these figures and particularly to Figure 1 I have shown certain conventional parts of an automatic piano, incluoing a tracker board 10 over which the note sheet 11 passes in operation lroni the note sheet carrying roll 12 to the take up roll 13. such movement, as is well known. controlling the of air to the prima y tubes or which one is seen at let. The primary tubes lead to a player or valve chest indicated 15 in Figure 1. which contains valves, the latter controlling communication between its vacuum space and the hammer actuating pneumatics (not shown). through secondary tubes and the like of which one is seen at 16.

have made no attempt in the present instance to illustrate any particular torm ot valve arrangement in the player chest 15. as the particular valve arrangement tornis no part of my present invention and the invention may be carried out with variout terms of valve mechanism and is indeed unlimited in its application except to an action wherein a player chest, having pressure below atmospheric is utilized.

have shown the player chest 15 in connection with a reservoir 17 through pipe sections .8 and the former being connected its upper end to the player chest ter being connected at its lower reservoir. The reservoir is subjoct to suction ugh a pipe 20 from a Llii pumper and the like 21 which may be motor actuated. the motor being seen at 22,

In accordance with my invention the upper end of the pressure supply pipe 19 from reservoir ll is connected to the base of a control. box- 23 so to communicate with the lower interior portion of this box through its base opening 24 as shown in the detail SQCiZlOEL Figure 2. This control pheric pressure by virtue of openings 31 through its wall as seen in Figure 4. The intermediate section 26 and the lower section 27 are separated by a flexible diaphragm 32, leaving the chamber 33 of the lower section 27 subject to suction from pipe 19 through opening 24 under control of a flat valve 34 which seats on the inner surface of the base of the control box 23 around the opening 24.

The upper chamber 29 is in communication with the lower chamber 33 through openings extending through the walls of the control box 23 as particularly seen in Figures 2 and 4, without communication however into the central compartment 30, and the upper compartment 29 is in communication with the lower end of the section 18 of the pressure communicating pipe which is connected to the'top of the control box adjacent to one side.

The main control valve 34 is mounted on the lower end of a stem 36 which passes centrally through and is connected to the diaphragm 32 and also has sliding movement through a central aperture of the stationary horizontal partition 28, the upper portion of the stem slida-bly projecting through a tubular valve stem 37 movable through a central opening of the top of the control box 23. Above the upper end of the hollow valve stem 37, the upper end of the stem 36 has a head 38 engaged by the upper end of a coil spring which surrounds the tubular stem 37 in spaced relation and bears at its lower end upon the lower cross head 39 of a vertically movable frame which also includes an upper cross head 40 and vertical side rods 41 connecting the cross heads.

Around its central aperture, the top of the control box 23 has an annular series of openings 42 constituting atmospheric ports, which are controlled by a fiat valve 43 seated upwardly against the lower surface of the top of the control box and carried by the lower inner end of: the tubular stem 37. The upper end of this stem has an adjustable screw flange as at 44 and receives thereagainst the upper end of a coil spring 44 depending within the spring 38 controlling the inner valve stem 36 and, like the latter, bearing at its lower end against the lower cross head 39 of the vertically movable frame before mentioned. 3 I

The springs 38 and 44 are so regulated that the tension on valves 34 and 43 is uni form and light under normal conditions with the vertically movable frame in its lowermostposition shown in Figure 2, the valves 34 and 43 being at this time held against their seats with very light pressure so that the former curtails communication between pipe 19 and the control box and thus curtails communication between the reservoir 17 and the player chest 15 without however cutting off the connection entirely. This pressure communicated from the lower chamber 33 of the control box to the upper chamber 29 through the wall openings is further effected by the entrance of air through the top opening 42 past the valve 43 so that under normal circumstances and with the parts in the normal position shown in Figure 2 in which they are maintained by virtue of springs 38 and 44, there is the least vacuum within the player chest, capable of instant responsive augmentation through the automatic control provided for by my invention.

Extending above the center of the control .box 23 with the lower ends of its side extensions 45 connected to the box, is an inverted U-shaped frame, to the upper cross bar 46 of which is connected the upper leaf 47. of a triple bellows, the successive portions of whichv are indicated at 48, 49 and 50, and the lower leaf 51 of which is secured to the upper cross head 40 of the vertically shiftable frame. To the sections 48, 49 and of the triple bellows, which sections have geometrically increasing internal areas or air spaces, are extended exhausting conduits 52, 53 and 54, subject to suction in the operation of my invention in order to more or less collapse these bellows, either slowly or speedily for the purpose of raising the vertically adjustable frame to which the lower portion of the bellows is connected, it being obvious that when so collapsed the main valve 34 is raised, permitting a greater area of communication between pipe 19 and chamber 33 and that the supplemental atmospheric valve 43 is also pressed upwardly to more closely cover the top openings 42, thus augmenting the vacuum within the player chest 15. The piano is then playing loudly and if it is desired to soften the tone, release of the triple bellows permits both valve 34 and 43 to return to normal tension of their springs 38 and 44. Air at once enters through openings 42 and at once reduces the pressure in the player chest.

For the purpose of controlling collapsing movement of the triple bellows to secure rapid and slow movements, I extend the conduits 52, 53 and 54, previously mentioned to the lower surface of a vertically apertured valve frame 55, the apertures of which are normally in full communication with upright ubes 56, 57 and 58 through the central series of openings 59 of slide rods 60. 61 and 62 movable in the valve frame across the upper ends of the conduits 55, 56 and 57. These slide rods are connected at their oposite ends by brackets 63 and 64 to the movable leaves of bellows 65 and 66, which movable leaves are engaged by springs 67 and 68 of equal tension so that the slide rods are normally held in the central position shown in Figure 6.

Above the slide rods the suction conduits 5G, 57 and 58 are connected for re istry with slide rod openings 72, 73 and H- in a transverse series at one side of their centers and openings 75, 76 and T7 in a second transverse series at the opposite side their centers, the openings in each series progressing" in the same geometrical relation existing between the compartn'ients ot' the triple bellows, and the openings of one series being, substantially greater than those of the other yet smaller than the central series so that when the pneumatic 65 is collapsed, the several slide rods 60, 61 and 62 will be shift-- ed to the right, registering their openings 72, 73 and T l between the suction conduits 56, 57 and 5S and the upper ends of the tubes 52, and 54, thus subjecting the triple bellows to a somewhat slower collapsing movement than when the openings 59 are registered, as in the normal position and yet faster as compared to that permitted when the pneumatic 66 is collapsed and the slide rode openings 75 76 and 7? of smaller diameters are placed in registerine position.

The collapsing of the pneumatics (S5 and 66 is controlled through suction pipes 78 and 79 leading from a valved contro 80 this controller being subject to suction through a conduit 81 leading from a source of pressure as for instance the reservoir 1? as seen in Figure 1.. The valves of this controller control communication of suction to the suction pipes 78 and 79 and are in turn controlled by valves therein actuated through tubes 82 and 83 leading from the tracker board openings S4 and 85 as seen in Figure 5. Thus when one of the correspondingz openings of the note sheet ll registers with the tracker board openingrush of air into the tube 82 shifts the primary valve of the controller 80 to register the suction pipe 78 with the pressure prevai inc in the controller and the pneumatic 6') will thus he collapsed, shifting the slide rods to the position first dcscrihed above for bringim: about a moderately slow increase in tone volume. Likewise when one of the correspondi note sheet openin s comes into reuistrv wit-ii the tracker board opening 85. a similar action takes place in respect tojthe suction tube 83 and suction pipe 79 through the 'ontrollcr S0 to collapse the pneur ''c (36 and secure a .very slow gradual increase in tone volume.

Upon completion of either a gradual or a quick increase in tone volume ali ove the normal, the increased volume may be retained by virtue of the fact that one ot the side bars 41 of the vertically shittable trame p viously described, and as particularly in Figures 2 and 3, has a transverse recess 88 and passes through an upright bearing tube 89 having a vertical series of transversely disposed locking pins 90, each.

gaged l Y the ree end of a spring wire 91.

i wires 91 horizontally disposed shown Figure 3 and are secured by a clamp 92 to supporting" upright 93, the extremities of the several wires project; tubular bearing and being si nui en 'ageable by a releasing p d to and shiftable with a coll: t atic 9: which is also supported by the upright 93 With the pneumatic its normal inactive position shown in .L i; 2, the s ivcral pins 9i) are all poten tiall active. The 'eleasing pneumatic 95 is however controlled, that is collapsed, by

1 7 one of the series of pins 90 to shii't X6 rraine rod opening and hold the l" e until a further collapse oi" bellows The tubes and 58. before describech which control the extent of collapsing of the bellows, also extend to the coi'itrol box .ODtlOllB'fl by tracker board tubes 99 ltl which lead from tracker llofiitil openings 102i and 1574: for the respective collapse be ms 48, 4":9 and 50. Each bellows thus be independently collapsed. or collapsed alongwith one or more o the others depeinlin; upon the extent to l sired to raise the frame t i course that the tracker i openings controlling accentn ion and those controlling the period o sustfinins oi the acccntuatioin are separat from t in addition to the ordlnote openings.

we shown the music sheet side in a plural'ty of horizontal lines indicated by the 0 K inclusive and it will be observed t t tracker t is undo lette s lows if 48 and 43:9. collapse 0 the former withdrawing extremely soft until line D passes over tracker board 10. At this line D tracker board openings 102, 103, 10 i and 98 are ex posed so that all three bellows e8, a9 and 50 are collapsed with the collapse of bellows 95 so that the succeeding notes between lines D and E will be struck with extreme loudness until at line E the bellows 95 again col lapsed, permitting bellows as, 49 and 50 to distend.

From F to K I have shown an arrange ment of perforations permitting of a very slow crescendo, line F exposing the tracker board opening 85 which brings about collapse of bellows 66 and thus draws the small openings 75, 7G and 77 into registry with the bellows tubes 52, 53 and so that as this position is maintained from F to K and at G the tracker board openings 102, 103, 104: and 98 are exposed, collapsing the bellows 4.8, L9, 50 and 95, there will be a gradual increase in volume of sound under the control ot the restricted bellows collapsing connections until line K is reached when the several parts are permitted to return to normal position. It will be noted that during this entire very gradual crescendo, the bellows 95 is maintained in collapsed position as it would otherwise prevent the desired gradual rise of the frame 45. It a less gradualcrescendo were to be produced the perforations from G to K would expose the tracker hoard opening 84: instead of 85 and thus collapse bellows instead of (36.

In a like manner it is quite obvious the degree of loudness as well as its speed may be controlled, and in a similar manner the degree andspeed in producing a. diminuendo maybe controlled. This sullices to show the various combinations which may be brought about in desired or proper interpretation of music of which my invention is capable, and it thus becomes obvious that in addi tion to the other advantages previously described, I am enabled to obtain sustained accentuation and control the accentuation by means of single note sheet openings instead of elongated slots in the usual note sheet for this purpose. It is furthermore obvious I provide an arrangement which may be readily installed in connection with practically any type of player action, capable of effective e'llicient automatic action and which only requires additional tracker board openings with the corresponding openings in the note sheet.

I claim:

i. ran attachment of the character de scribed for player actions including a con troller box having suction connections and atmospheric ports, spring controlled valves normally under moderate tension of their springs for controlling the said suction con nection and atmospheric ports, means engageable with and for moving the springs of said valves whereby to increase the tension on the valves, including suction controlled bellows and note sheet controlled means for exhausting the said bellows.

2. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means of a pneumatic player action, of a suction control box therebetween, having atmospheric ports, a valve in the box controlling the communication of suction to the valve chest, a second valve in the box controlling the atmospheric ports, springs engaging the said valves and norally holding the same under moderate tension, an adjustable member on which the said springs have bearing and movement of which serves to simultaneously vary the tension of the springs, a bellows connected to and adapted to adjust said spring bearing member, and note sheet controlled suction connections for exhausting said bellows.

The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of a control box therebetwcen having a valve operating to control the suction supply to the valve chest, and also having an atmospheric port and a valve controlling said port, suction operated means for simultaneously controlling the ef fective positions of said valves, and note sheet controlled means for controlling the operation of said valve controlling means, including means to vary the speed of 0pcration thereof.

4. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of valved means interposed therebetween for controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, a valve controlling communication between the valve chest and the atmosphere. suction actuated means for simultaneously adjusting the valves of said first named means, and note sheet controlled suction connections leading to said valve adjusting means and including means automatically acting to control the volume of suction supplied to the said valve adiusting means.

5. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of means interposed therebetween having valves controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, suction actuated means for adjusting the valves of said first named means and having suction connections. a controlling valve in said last named suction connections normally in inactive position. having apertures of different areas shiftable in opposite directions into registry withthe suction connections to respectively actuate the valve adjusting means slowly and speedily, collapsible pneumatics for moving said last named valve in opposite directions, and note sheet controlled means tor independently exhausting said pneumatics.

6. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of means interposed thereb'etween having adjustable val es for controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, note sheet controlled means for adjusting the said valves, means to auto matically lock the valves in various adjust ed positions against both closing and opening movement, and note sheet controlled means for releasing said locking means.

7. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of means inte posed therebetween having valves controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, note sheet controlled means for adjusting said valves including a movable member having a recess, a series of spring actuated pins in the path of movement of said member, each adapted for locking engagement within the recess, and note sheet controlled means simultaneously engageable with the series of pins to shift and hold the latter out of active position.

8. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of means interposed therebetvveen having valves controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, note sheet controlled means for adjusting said valves including a movable member having a recess, a series of spring actuated pins in the path of movement of said member, each adapted for locking engagement Within the recess, and note sheet controlled means simultaneously engage-able with the series of pins to shift and hold the latter out of active position, including a collapsible pneumati having a plate movable therewith to simultaneously engage the several pins of the series.

9. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of a control box therebetween having a valve controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest and also having atmospheric ports, a valve controllin said atmospheric ports, springs norinilly under moderate tension, a frame upon a portion of which said springs have hear: ing, a bellows connected to said frame and collapsible to adjust the latter and increase tension on the springs, note sheet controlled suction connections for exhausting said bellows, means automatically engageable with a portion of the said frame to loclr the same in various adjusted positions, and note sheet controlled means for releasing said locking means to permit the frame to return to normal position after suction on the bellows has been cut off.

10. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of valved means interposed therebetween for controlling the supply of suction to the valve chest, suction actuated means for adjusting the valves of said first named means, means for locl zi a; thesaid adjusting means in various adjusted positions against both closing and opening movement, note sheet controlled suction con nection for said adj usting means, and note sheet controlled means for releasing said loclring means and holding the same in in active position.

11. The combination with the valve chest and suction supply means, of a control box therebetween having a valve operating to control the supply of suction to the valve chest and having an atmospheric port and valve controlling said port, suclion operated means for simultaneously controL ling the effective positions of said valves. and note sheet controlled means for controlling the operation of said valve controlling means, including means to vary the speed operation thereof and also including au tomatically rel asable means to lock thd said valve controlling means in various adjusted positions.

A pneumatic player action including a valve chest, pressure supply connections r said valve chest, and note sheet conolled means for automatically varying the rcssure supplied to said chest, including news for automatically locking the said ressure varying means in various adjusted iositions against movement and note sheet controlled means means.

13. A pneumatic player action including a valve chest, pressure supply connections leading to said valve chest, note sheet controlled means interposed within said con nections for automatically varying the pressure supplied to said valve chest, including therein note sheet controlled means for selectively controllin the speed of said pres sure varying means, means to automatically locl: the pressure varying means in various adjusted positions against movement, and note sheet controlled means for releasing said locking means as described.

lei. A pneumatic player action including a valve chest, pressure supply connections leading to said alve chest, iote sheet con trolled located in said pressure supply connections for automatically varying the pressure supplied to the valve chest, mechanical locking means for automatically locking the pressure varying means in various adjusted posit ons against movement, and note sheet controlled suction actuated means for releasing said locking means and for holding the latter in inactive position when desired.

ORMOND EDGAR WALL.

for releasing said locking 

